First comes love, then comes the romantic engagement… then the chaos of picking a date and informing all your friends and family!

Yes, the process of planning a wedding is a complicated one, especially if you’re anticipating a formal, more traditional affair. The etiquette surrounding your save the dates, invitations, and RSVPs is enough to make eloping sound like a grand idea. But before you buy that ticket for Vegas, we’re here to help.

Save the Dates: Save the dates are sent out first to ensure that your guests remain free on the date in question and mark their calendars. If your wedding falls on a holiday or you’re planning a destination wedding, it’s best to send save the dates out about a year in advance to allow time for friends and family to save money, buy tickets, and get time off from work. If your nuptials are taking place locally, four to six months in advance is a safe timeframe to allow for planning.

Invitations: Once save the dates have been sent, invitations are to follow, securing a few more of the details. Similarly to the save the dates, allow extra time if you’re planning a destination wedding — usually two to three months in advance. If you’re getting married close to home, six to eight weeks before the wedding is customary.

RSVP: Finally, RSVP cards allow the bride and groom to know exactly how many people they should plan for. To ensure you get an accurate headcount, ask that guests return their RSVP cards two to three weeks prior to the wedding date. This will give you enough time to arrange with your caterer and plan your seating chart. If you still haven’t heard from some guests by the deadline, give them a friendly phone call and ask that they return the RSVP card by mail as soon as possible so you have all of their information on hand.

It’s certainly a process, but by far the most wonderful aspect of your wedding invites are the beautiful feelings you can evoke with your choice of stationary. Each piece is like a little gift to your wedding guests, giving them a hint at the celebrations to come. Whether your wedding is taking place on the beach or in a countryside barn, the font, design, and color scheme all play a key role in conveying your wedding day style. It’s easily overwhelming, so we’ve made this process just a little bit easier with three free downloadable cards, handcrafted by our Graphic Design team — with their help, each step of the process is covered. Simply click on the download link provided below, choose your paper stock, print them out, and either type or hand-letter your wedding information into the provided spaces: